Mochi
Mochi (餅•もち, lit. ’glutinous rice cake’) is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch. The rice is pounded into paste and molded into the desired shape. In Japan it is traditionally made in a ceremony called mochitsuki (餅搗き•もちつき, lit. ’pounded-glutinous rice cake’). While eaten year-round, mochi is a traditional food for the Japanese New Year, and is commonly sold and eaten during that time.
Mochi is a multicomponent food consisting of polysaccharides, lipids, protein, and water. Mochi has a heterogeneous structure of amylopectin gel, starch grains, and air bubbles. The rice used for mochi has a negligible amylose content and a high amylopectin level, producing a gel-like consistency. The protein content of the japonica rices used to make mochi is higher than that of standard short-grain rice.
Mochi is similar to dango, but is made by pounding grains of rice, while dango is made with rice flour.
